Elon Musk announced during the company's fourth quarter results call today that full volume production of Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck will not begin until 2024.
However, it should be noted that the maker of electric cars refers to the production to happen "later this year" rather than mid-2023, as Musk had claimed last year.
Industry Experts Says That The Production Process Needs To Be Sped Up
Although Musk cagily stated that Cybertruck production will begin "sometime this summer," he added that the divisive pickup will not begin in large quantities until the following year.
"Cybertruck remains on track to begin production later this year at Gigafactory Texas," the company announced, according to The Street.
However, the company only provided the information that the Cybertruck is currently in the "tooling" stage although Chief Vehicle Designer Franz von Holzhausen says that the design was complete.
Despite receiving a lot of attention when it was first revealed in 2019, Cybertruck's production has repeatedly been postponed.
Pre-production was initially planned to begin in late 2021, but the COVID-19 epidemic caused this to change.
It was then projected to happen sometime in 2023, which was made a year ago, as per a report by The Verge.
Additionally, Musk informed investors last year that the specifications and cost of the Cybertruck will differ.
Tesla announced on Wednesday that it has begun setting up the manufacturing tools required for the Cybertruck's assembly, including the castings that will create the body of the electric pickup truck.
The company's Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, is anticipated to be the primary manufacturing location for the Cybertruck.
Industry analysts cautioned that in order for the Cybertruck to have the desired impact, the schedule needs to be accelerated.
Read More: Elon Musk Addresses $420 Per Share Tweet in Securities Fraud Trial
Tesla Cybertruck's Chief Designer Spares Some Details On The Vehicle
According to Von Holzhausen, the Cybertruck's front doors will resemble those of the Model X luxury SUV, which means that the locking and unlocking of the Cybertruck will be easier.
The vehicle will feature sensors surrounding the driver's door that can detect the presence of a key fob, so there will not be any need to use the key fob.
The principal vehicle designer also mentioned that a yoke steering wheel might be an option for the Cybertruck, according to The Street.
"We want to make sure that we bring a great amount of functionality, performance, you know, drive characteristics, all those things and just usability to the truck because people use pickup trucks or trucks in general like Swiss Army knives," von Holzhausen said.
Although it touches on radicalism and originality, Cybertruck is as functional as any other vehicle, if not more so, he adds.
At a promotional event in Los Angeles in November 2019, Musk first presented the electric pickup prototype, which he describes as straight out of science fiction movies.
The Tesla Cybertruck offers an electric range of up to 500 miles, a maximum towing capacity of 14,000 pounds, and a starting price of less than $40,000.
It is important to note that The Cybertruck is still available for purchase in the US, Mexico, and Canada, however Tesla is no longer accepting orders for the vehicle in Europe and the Asia-Pacific area.
Related Article: Elon Musk Admits to Ignoring Pleas To Stop Tweeting During Securities Fraud Trial
